Acetylcholinesterase complexed with bivalent ligands related to huperzine a: experimental evidence for species-dependent protein-ligand complementarity

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors improve the cognitive abilities of Alzheimer patients. (-)-Huperzine A [(-)-HupA], an alkaloid isolated from the club moss, Huperzia serrata, is one such inhibitor, but the search for more potent and selective drugs continues. Recently, alkylene-linked dimers of 5-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolinone (hupyridone, 1a), a fragment of HupA, were shown to serve as more potent inhibitors of AChE than (-)-HupA and monomeric 1a. We soaked two such dimers, (S,S)-(-)-bis(10)-hupyridone [(S,S)-(-)-2a] and (S,S)-(-)-bis(12)-hupyridone [(S,S)-(-)-2b] containing, respectively, 10 and 12 methylenes in the spacer, into trigonal TcAChE crystals, and solved the X-ray structures of the resulting complexes using the difference Fourier technique, both to 2.15 A resolution. The structures revealed one HupA-like 1a unit bound to the "anionic" subsite of the active-site, near the bottom of the active-site gorge, adjacent to Trp84, as seen for the TcAChE/(-)-HupA complex, and the second 1a unit near Trp279 in the "peripheral" anionic site at the top of the gorge, both bivalent molecules thus spanning the active-site gorge. The results confirm that the increased affinity of the dimeric HupA analogues for AChE is conferred by binding to the two "anionic" sites of the enzyme. Inhibition data show that (-)-2a binds to TcAChE approximately 6-7- and > 170-fold more tightly than (-)-2b and (-)-HupA, respectively. In contrast, previous data for rat AChE show that (-)-2b binds approximately 3- and approximately 2-fold more tightly than (-)-2a and (-)-HupA, respectively. Structural comparison of TcAChE with rat AChE, as represented by the closely related mouse AChE structure (1maa.pdb), reveals a narrower gorge for rat AChE, a perpendicular alignment of the Tyr337 ring to the gorge axis, and its conformational rigidity, as a result of hydrogen bonding between its hydroxyl group and that of Tyr341, relative to TcAChE Phe330. These structural differences in the active-site gorge explain the switch in inhibitory potency of (-)-2a and 2b and the larger dimer/(-)-HupA potency ratios observed for TcAChE relative to rat AChE. The results offer new insights into factors affecting protein-ligand complementarity within the gorge and should assist the further development of improved AChE inhibitors.     

Synthesis of macrocyclic aliphatic disulfide oligomers from dithiols by oxidative coupling with oxygen using a copper‐amine catalyst

A new effective method is provided for the synthesis of macrocyclic aliphatic disulfide oligomers by catalytic oxidation of aliphatic dithiols with oxygen in the presence of a copper‐amine catalyst. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of poly(arylene ether)s based on 9,9-bis(3,5-diphenyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene

The synthesis of a novel bisphenol, 9,9-bis(3,5-diphenyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene, in high yield by the transalkylation of 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene is described. Three poly(arylene ether)s based on this hindered phenol were prepared with molecular weights (M_n) ranging from 34 800 to 51 300 and inherent viscosities ranging from 0.27 to 0.43 dL/g. The polymers have T_g's of 236–262°C and did not lose weight below 350°C, with 10% weight loss recorded above 550°C. They are readily soluble in chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride, chloroform, and 1,2-dichloroethane at room temperature. Attempts to synthesize an analogous monomer, bis (3,5-diphenyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)diphenylmethane, are described.     

Multilayer nitroazobenzene films covalently attached to carbon. An AFM and electrochemical study

Nitroazobenzene films have been grafted to pyrolyzed photoresist films by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding diazonium salt in acetonitrile solution. Two component films were also prepared by electrochemically grafting methylbenzene layers to preformed NAB films. Voltammetric investigation of the films in aqueous acid medium and the measurement of film thickness using atomic force microscopy (AFM) lead to new insights into film structure. In aqueous acid solution, the azobenzene groups have no detectable electroactivity and not all nitro groups in the films can be reduced. These findings point to a compact film structure in which proton diffusion is limited. There may also be spatial inhibition of the conformational changes that accompany azobenzene reduction. For increasingly thick NAB films, the peak for reduction of the nitro groups moves to more negative potentials and the peaks become more asymmetric in shape. These changes are interpreted in terms of the dielectric properties and the rate of proton diffusion in the films. Film thickness was measured by ploughing through the film with an AFM tip. When an NAB film prepared in acetonitrile solution is reduced in aqueous acid, the film thickness decreases by more than 50%. The changes can be partially reversed by treatment in acetonitrile-electrolyte solution and hence are attributed to ion-solvent induced swelling and shrinking. Thus, the large decrease in thickness detected by AFM after treatment of the film in aqueous acid is consistent with the compact film structure revealed by electrochemistry.     

Synthesis and base hydrolysis kinetics of the nitrile complexes [Co(tetren)NCR]3+ (R=Me,Ph and p-MeOC6 H4) and the synthesis and kinetics of formation of the tetrazolato complexes [Co(tetren)N4R]2+ (R=Me and Ph; tetren=1,11-diamino-3,6,9-triazaundecane) by reaction with azide ion

The N-bonded nitrile complexes -[Co(tetren)NCR]³⁺ (R=Me, Ph, p-MeOC₆ H₄) have been prepared by the reaction of -[Co(tetren)OH₂]³⁺ with the corresponding nitrile. The kinetics of base hydrolysis have been studied by pH-stat methods. The reactions involve an SN₁CB displacement of the nitrile to give the hydroxopentamine; nucleophilic attack at the nitrile carbon to give the corresponding carboxamido complex does not occur. NaN₃ reacts with the nitrile complexes in slightly acidic solution (pH ca. 5.7) to give the tetrazolato complexes [Co(tetren)N₄ R]²⁺ (R=Me, Ph) which have been characterised. The reaction of azide ion with -[Co(tetren)NCMe]³⁺ has been studied kinetically. The reaction is biphasic involving the initial rapid formation of the N₁-bonded (5-methyltetrazolato) pentaminecobalt(III) complex with k=2×10^–2dm³ mol^–1s^–1 at 25°C followed by the slow isomerisation to the N₂-bonded complex with k=3.5×10^–5s^–1 at pH 5.7.     

The crystallinity of polyaryl ether ether ketone

Measurement of the degree of crystallinity of the polymer matrix in a composite is complicated by the presence of the reinforcing additive. This is particularly the case in APC-2 in which as much as 70% can be carbon fibre. A First Law procedure, developed for determining the degree of crystallinity of PEEK, which involves direct measurement of the enthalpy changes associated with melting, crystallization and heat capacity changes, has found to be an effective method for the determination of the crystallinity of the PEEK matrix. The procedure has been applied to carbon fibre and glass fibre PEEK composites.     

A novel series of oligomers from 4-aminomethyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylates with 2,4-cis and 2,4-trans stereochemistry

Two tetrahydrofuran-based γ-amino acids [2,4-cis and 2,4-trans] were subjected to iterative peptide-coupling procedures to afford dimeric, tetrameric and hexameric carbopeptoids in good yield. These homooligomers were prepared for secondary structural study—to ascertain the conformational preference inherent in the monomer units. The l-xylo oligomers were protected with triethylsilyl ethers to increase the range of solvents suitable for structural investigation. Initial secondary structure data indicate the presence of hydrogen-bonded conformations in the l-ribo series.     

Transition metal complexes of 2-Carbethoxypyridine (Ethyl picolinate)

Summary A variety of metal(II) complexes of 2-carbethoxypyridine (L) have been prepared and characterised. With metal(II) chlorides the bis complexes can be formulated [ML₂Cl₂]^o (M=Cu^II, Ni^II, Co^II, Fe^II or Mn^II). The complexes are six-coordinate with 2-carbethoxypyridine acting as a bidentate ligandvia the pyridine nitrogen and the carbonyl group of the ester. The chloro complexes are nonelectrolytes in nitroethane; magnetic susceptibility measurements, i.r. and d-d electronic spectra are reported. With metal(II) perchlorate salts the complexes can be formulated as six-coordinate [ML₂ (OH₂)₂] [ClO₄]₂ species containing ionic perchlorate. The ester exchanges of some of these complexes with a variety of primary alcohols have been investigated.     

Preparation of benzyne complexes of group 10 metals by intramolecular suzuki coupling of ortho-metalated phenylboronic esters: molecular structure of the first benzyne-palladium(0) complex

A series of nickel(II) and palladium(II) aryl complexes substituted in the ortho position of the aromatic ring by a (pinacolato)boronic ester group, [MBr[o-C(6)H(4)B(pin)]L(2)] (M = Ni, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (2a), 2PCy(3) (2b), 2PEt(3) (2c), dcpe (2d), dppe (2e), and dppb (2f); M = Pd, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (3a), 2PCy(3) (3b), and dcpe (3d)), has been prepared. Many of these complexes react readily with KO(t)Bu to form the corresponding benzyne complexes [M(eta(2)-C(6)H(4))L(2)] (M = Ni, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (4a), 2PCy(3) (4b), 2PEt(3) (4c), dcpe (4d); M = Pd, L(2) = 2PCy(3) (5b)). This reaction can be regarded as an intramolecular version of a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction, the driving force for which may be the steric interaction between the boronic ester group and the phosphine ligands present in the precursors 2 and 3. Complex 3d also reacts with KO(t)Bu, but in this case disproportionation of the initially formed eta(2)-C(6)H(4) complex (5d) leads to a 1:1 mixture of a novel dinuclear palladium(I) complex, [(dcpe)Pd(mu(2)-C(6)H(4))Pd(dcpe)] (6), and a 2,2'-biphenyldiyl complex, [Pd(2,2'-C(6)H(4)C(6)H(4))(dcpe)] (7d). Complexes 2a, 3b, 3d, 4b, 5b, 6, and 7d have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction; complex 5b is the first example of an isolated benzyne-palladium(0) species.